Indiana Survives Minnesota With Last-Second Kick and Overtime Win
The Hoosiers forced a 60-yard field goal to tie the game, then scored a touchdown and stopped the Golden Gophers on the goal line to win 23-16.
By Riya Ross ·
No. 4 Indiana defeated Minnesota 23-16 on Saturday to keep its national championship hopes alive.
The previous three weeks saw chaos in the AP Top 25, with 10 ranked teams losing, including two No. 1s and a No. 2. Week 9 brought stability to the top half of the poll, as most ranked teams won by large margins. No. 2 Georgia forced four turnovers to beat No. 17 Florida 27-8 in Atlanta.
Indiana, which is 8-1 and 5-1 in the Big Ten, faced a second consecutive close game. The Hoosiers trailed late in the fourth quarter when Minnesota’s Luke Drzewiecki kicked a 60-yard field goal with 19 seconds remaining. Coach Curt Cignetti declined to call a timeout, leaving little time for Indiana to set up for a tying kick.
Charlie Becker caught a 33-yard pass along the sideline to keep the drive alive. Paddy McAteer then kicked a 60-yard field goal as the clock expired, forcing overtime. In the extra period, Grant Wilson, who replaced Josh Hoover in the second half, threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to Becker. Indiana finished the game by sacking Drake Lindsey on the goal line.
Elsewhere, No. 13 Texas Tech defeated No. 22 Arizona 34-26. Texas Tech switched quarterbacks after a 37-24 loss at Cincinnati. Coach Joey McGuire said he was “as frustrated as I’ve ever been in 32 years of coaching” before the change. Tommy Castellanos started and accounted for three touchdowns, throwing for two scores and rushing for 113 yards and one. The win marked the 13th consecutive home victory for the Red Raiders.
Arizona’s Noah Fifita threw for 417 yards and a 94-yard touchdown pass to Isaiah Mizell. However, he missed a fourth-and-1 pass to Tyler Powell from the Texas Tech 18-yard line in the fourth quarter, preserving the Red Raiders' lead.
The AP Top 25 continued to see upsets in the lower ranks. Oregon beat Northwestern 34-26, while Iowa shut out No. 25 Wisconsin 30-0. Syracuse defeated No. 17 SMU 30-27 on a 2-yard touchdown pass from Steve Angeli to Noah Meyers with 17 seconds left.
Heisman Trophy candidates remain active. Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith faces Southern California this week. Miami’s Darian Mensah completed 31 of 37 passes for 387 yards and four touchdowns in a 52-23 win over Pitt. His 81.4% completion rate is on pace for an FBS record. Malachi Toney caught a school-record 16 passes for 194 yards and three touchdowns in that game. Arkansas hosts No. 23 Missouri on Saturday, with running back Ahmad Hardy expected to return.
Source: MySA
